Driving and reversing gear



(No Model.) 3 Sheets -sheet; 1.

H. W. FOWLER.

DRIVING AND REVEESING GEAR.

No. 310,265. Patented Jan 6, 1885.

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N. PETERS. PlIulvLhhomuhcr. Washinglan. D. C.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet. 2. H. W. FOWLER. DRIVING AND REVERSING GEAR.

Patented Jan. 6,1885.

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DRIVING AND REVERSING GEAR.

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tlltviiiTEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I-IERVEY ll". FO\VLER-, OF OHIOACIO, ILLINOIS.

DRIVING AND REVERSING GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,265, dated January 6,1885.

Application filed September 16, 1881.

To an III/b07121 it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERVEY XV. FOWLER, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Driving and Reversing Gear; and I do hereby declare that the following specification, taken in connection with the drawings furnished and forming a part of the same, is a clear, true, and complete description of the several features of my invention.

Although I have specially devised and organized my improvements for use with rolling-mills, and now particularly illustrate and describe them in that connection, it is to be understood that they are capable of other uses, and especially wherein heavy gearing and much power is involved. The value of oppositely driving or reversing pairs of metalworking rolls in rolling-mills has so long been recognized that various forms of driving and reversing gear have been devised and tried; but, so far as my knowledge extends, such gear as heretofore organized has so far proved impracticable that reliance is now generally placed upon reversible steam-engines, which are reversed for effecting a reversal of the rolls. It is obvious that for rollingmill work heavy coarse mechanism can only be relied upon as distinguished from such as is well known to be available and largely used in lathcs,hoisting-engines,&c. fi'lheseverestrains to which metal-working rolls are subjected, especially during the initial work at each pass, is necessarily communicated throughout the line of mechanism by which said rolls are connected with the steam-engine or other source of power, and, as I believe, the failures heretofore experienced with reversing-gear have been due to an uneven balance of strain at the points where the shifting connections and disconnections are made. As, for instance, whether a friction-clutch or a positive clutch were employed in connection with a pulley or a beveled or other gear the clutching engagement has heretofore been limited to one side only of said pulley or gear, and'as an inevitable consequence destructive torsional or twisting strains supplemented the direct strains, and therefore break ages of gcari n g and clutches were constantly liable. In my driving and reversing gear I can employ friction-clutches for (X0 model.)

light work; but I deem a positive clutch preferable in all cases. As a novelty in this connection I employ double-clutch faces keyed to but free to slide on each shaft, which is to be alternately driven from the drivingshaft, and between each pair of clntclriaces and on each shaft I employ a loose gear, having at each side thereof an integral or properlysccurcd clutchfaee, with which a cooperating coincident sliding clutch-face engages. By thus clutching to its shaft the loose gear, which is continu ously rotated by the embracing sliding clutchfaces, all torsional or twisting strain of said gear is obviated when relied upon for driving the rolls. Although in its best form my driving and reversing gear embodies clutches which embrace between them these pinions on which reliance is had for reversing motion, I am aware that clutches which operate on one side only of said pinions can be successfully employed in some cases in connection with certain portions of my invention. I have also so organized my two pairs of clutches that each pair is always oppositely controlled, thus rendering it impossible for either pair to be engaged as drivers until the other pair is disengaged, and although good re sults can be obtained by shifting the clutches by hand I have so organized them that, although the reversing changes depend upon the move meat of a hand-lever, the actual labor of shift iug the clutches is performed automatically by power deriveth from the main driving-shaft, and the means employed for performingthis clutch-shifting service are so organzied that under no circumstances can the clutches fail to properly mesh, which is a matter of special value with positive clutches, although of course quite immaterial if friction-clutches be used. I have also provided for locking the clutches in their operative positions and for obviating the shock incident to the reversal of heavy rolls.

After fully describing my said improve ments and various ways of organizing them with metal-working rolls, the features deemed novel will be specified in the several clauses of claims hereunto annexed.

Referring to the three sheets of drawings, Figures 1, 2, and 3, Sheets 1 and 2 respectivel y illustrate my driving and reversing gear in side elevation, top and end views, independent of a rolling-mill. Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is a side elevation of a pair of metal-working rolls with my driving and reversing gear attached in such a manner that power can be alternately applied directly to either the upper or the lower roll, according to the direction in which said rolls are to be driven. Fig. 5, Sheet 3, is a side elevation of a pair of rolls with said driving and reversing gear so attached that power is applied directly to the lower roll only. Fig. (3, Sheet 3, is a side elevation of a pair of rolls and said driving and reversing gear as when rolls of comparatively small diameter are do sired and each roll is to be alternately the driven roll. Fig. 7 illustrates in side and end views a gear having a clutclrface provided with a heavy spring to serve as a frictioirface for inducing slight initial movement of the shaft to be driven prior to the positive engagement of the clutch. Fig. 8, Sheet 3, illustrates in two views a positive lock or catch for preventing the accidental disengagement of the clutches while in service. Fig. 9, Sheet 3, in several views illustrates a coupling-bar, sockets, and a heavy cushioning torsion-sprin g encircling the bar. Fig. 10, Sheet 3, illus trates means for wholly disengaging the several clutches. Figs. ll and 12, Sheet 2, illustrate my invention as when employed with a main driving-shaft located at the one side of the vertical plane occupied by the elutch Shafts.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, it is to be understood that the bed A and housings or frame A are to be variably eonstructedin form and arrangement so as to be best suited to the eharacterof the rolls to bedriveu. The housings, however, must contain proper boxes for three parallel shafts,which for the best results should occupy the same vertical plane, although the central shaft may be set to the one side or the other of the other two without departure from my invention. The central shaft, 13, is the main driving-shaft,and in some cases it may be an extension of the crankshaft of asteam-eugine; orit maybe separately geared to the source of power. On this shaft 1; there is a tight pinion, B, keyed or otherwise secured thereto. Below the driving shaft there is a elutclrshaft, O, and above is a clutch-shalt, D, and each of these clutchshafts has a pinion which is loosely mounted thereon and meshes with the pinion B, as at G and 1). Each of said loose pinions or idlers is provided on each side thereof with a clutch-face, a, of a form common in wellknown positive clutches, and each clutch-face a cooperates with a coincident clutch-face, b, on a sliding hub, c, splined or feathered to the shaft in the usual manner, each pair of faces constituting a clutch, E, four of which are shown, one pair for each loose pinion or idler, so that when the latter is rotatively coupled or locked to its shaftit is practically embraced by said clutches, and is therefore not exposed to torsional or twisting strains, as it would be if it had a clutch at one side only.

It is obviously of importance that the slid ing hub c of either clutch be so connected with the one above or below it on the same side that neither can engage with its clutch-face to until the other has been wholly disengaged, inasmuch as the pinions O and D are coir stantl yin mesh with the driving-pinion l3,and therefore said hubs c are coupled in vertical pairs to vertical levers (1, each pivoted as at d, and each hub is grooved peripherally and provided with a band or saddle and studs or pivots (2 having their bearings in said levels in a manner well known. These two lovers (1 are each composed of two parts connected at the top, and may be separately operated, as byhaud, one at a time or simultaneously, but I deem it of consequence that both of them be so coupled together as to respond to a single movement of a lever, and therefore I connect each vertical lever (Z at its top by a link, 0, with a horizontal lever, f, pivoted on top of the housing, as seen in Fig. 2, so that the hori zontal vibration of said lever f, as by the hand, applied to an extension thereof, (indicated by dotted lines,) will simultaneously cause either horizontal pair of clutches to engage with the proper pinion and lock it to its shaft, and the other pair to disengage from the pinion, which is to run loose as an idler. It said clutches be operated by hand, considerable exert-ion would be involved and the outer ends of the abutting shoulders of the clutch-faces would be liable to injury while being thrown together, asis well known to be the ease with positive clutches of this class, and therefore I have provided means whereby the vibration of the elutclrlevers is performed antomaticall y and by mechanism fully and easily controlled by the operator, and which can only throw the several cl uteh-faces together, when they are properly registered, and therefore no partial contact of the shoulders of each clutch can ever occur.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be seen that the horizontal lever f has coupled thereto at each end a pivoted shi p perbar {1 g, and that each bar has near its outer end a guide-bearing, h 71 each in the form of arectangular loop on the upper end of a vertically-sliding rod, 1?, pivoted at its lower end to a horizontal centrally-pivoted lever, 7;, arranged to be rocked in a vertical plane by a handle, 7x. It will now be readily understood that by raising and depressing said handle the two bars 1 y will be alternately raised or depressed at their outer ends, their pivotal coir nections with the lever f freely permitting that vibratory movement while being so pivoted that neither bar can be moved longitudinally without imparting a corresponding rocking movement to the lever], and also a corresponding rocking movement to the two clutchlevers d. These shipper-bars g and alte1= nat'ely operate as push -bars by which the IOC ITO

clutches are shifted, and it will be seen that if either be forced inwardly the other will be simultaneously moved outwardly. Upon the driving-shaft B there is keyed a wheel, Z, having near its periphery, and at its inner side, acam, Z, so shaped and proportioned that during a portion of the revolution of the cam wheel its working-face will engage with the outer end of whichever push-bar g 9 may then be in a projected and depressed position, and by forcing it inwardly cause a shifting of the clutches, and at the same time said cam will also so project the other puslrbar that when that one is next depressed by means of the handle is said cam will in like manner operate to reversely shift the clutches, and so on indefinitely as often as the handle it be thus manipulated. At the outer end of each clutch-shaft D 0 there is a keyed pinion, as seen at C and D, which two pinions or gears mesh together. In some cases these pinions or gears (J and D are absolutely essential, and although they can sometimes be dispensed with, as will be hereinafter shown, I deem it best to always employ them.

In applying my driving and reversing gear to various kinds and sizes of metal-working rolls it will be obvious that more or less variation will be necessary, but without involving any departures from my invention. For generally effective service I advise the use of pinions B, O, and D, which are each about twenty-four inches in diameter, and if rolls be directly coupled to the two clutch-shafts, and in the same plane, the metal-working rolls would be about forty-eight inches in diameter, and inasmuch as smaller rolls are more fre quently desired the modes of coupling them to the driving and reversing gearing must be such as will admit of the use of any sized roll.

In Fig. 4 I illustrate a pair of rolls, F F, each of which is coupled by a well known form of bar and sockets toits respective shaftmt or m, which in turn are coupled, respectively,to and constitute extensions of the clutch-shafts C and D, and have thereon the pinions O and D. The driving-shaft B, pinion B, loose pinions C and D, clutches, levers, and cam wheel are all as before described. As thus organized it will be assumed that the rolls are at rest and are to be run for service, so as to deliver the metal toward the observer, as

viewed in Fig. 4, and that the handle k is raised, the push-bar g depressed and project ed, and the clutches engaged with the lower clutch-shafuC. Now, ifthe power be applied to the drivingshaft B and cam-wheel Z, so as to drive them in the direction indicated by the arrows thereon, the rolls will first make a partial backward rotation until the cam Z strikes the push-bar g, whereupon the lower clutches will be released and the upper clutches be simultaneously thrown into action for driving the upper clutch-shaft, D, pinion D and upper roll, F, in a direction opposite to that of the driving-shaft, while the lower roll, F,

will be driven in the same direction as the driving-shaft, by way of the pinions D and G the lower clutch-shaft, 0, being free to rotate because its pinion O is then amereidler. A bar of metal having been thus passed through the rolls, thelatter are reversed,while the driving-shaft continues its rotation for making a rearward pass, by first lowering the handle it, which depresses the then projected push-bar 9, so that when the cam-wheel engages therewith (as before described in connection with push-bar g) the upper clutches will be "disengaged and the lower clutches thrown into action for driving the lower clutch shaft, 0, pinion C, and lower roll, F, in adirection opposite to that of the driving-shaft, while the upper roll, F, will be driven in the same direction as the driving-shaft, by way of said pinions C and D", the upper clutch-shaft, D, being then free to rotate, because its pinion D is then a mere idler.

- It will be observed that if the handle k be manipulated at a time when the outer end of a push-bar would overlie the cam Z, that the latter will prevent further depression of said bar until the rear end of the cam has passed, but that then said bar can be properly depressed, so as to occupy the plane traversed by the cam. Care should be taken notto shift the push-bars vertically more than once during any one rotation of the cam wheel, so as to avoid the possible release of a push-bar from the cam-face Z during the rearward sliding movement of either bar, and especially the push-bar because in that event said bar may have been so far forced rearwardly by the cam as to force the bar so far outwardly that it would be immediately thereafter engaged by said cam, and at a time when the upper cam-faces would be out of register and incapable of locking, thus involving a risk of breakage to the levers or their pivotal con nections.

It will be obvious that if either lever d be re moved, together with the clutches to which it is pivoted, the remaining lever d will have its clutches properly operated by the push-bars and cam-wheel, and for very light rolls this arrangement can be fairly relied upon, although the embraeingclutehes should be em ployed for obtaining the best results. Vhen the rotation of the rolls is reversed, they will be performing no work, and will first be at rest, so that they will be started each time from a full stop, and in the case of large and heavy rolls it is sometimes desirable to introduce some cushioning medium, to relieve shocks incident to suddenly im 'iarting rotative force to the rolls.

Frictionclutches may be employed in lieu of the positive clutches for driving large rolls in the performance of very light work, but for heavy or ordinary service the positive cl ntches are the most reliable.

In Fig. 7 a clutch-face, a, ofa pinion, C or D, is shown to be provided with a heavy out wardlydnelined fiat spring, a, against which the end of a shoulder of a coincident clutchface, Z), will frictionally engage in advance of the contact of the two shoulders, and thus cushion them more or less and impart to the clutch-shafts at least a tendency to rotation in advance of the actual contact of the shoulders. The tendency of the spring to force the clutch-faces apart can be corrected by recessing the coincident surface of the face I) so that said spring can be freely housed therein, and thereby render it practically or wholly free from compression.

\Vhenever it is desirable to absolutely lock the clutches in their closed or working positions, I organize the push-bars and their lift ingrods as shown in Fig. 8. In this case the push-bar is provided on its lower edge, .near its outer end, with a rectangular lateral notch, y, and on the upper surface of the frame or housing, below said bar, I provide a stud, g", which can freely enter sai'd notch when the bar is thrown downwardly and inwardly. A fiat spring is riveted to the upper portion of a guide-bearing, h, or to the puslrbar, as shown, so as to bear downwardly upon the upper surface of the push-bar, and the loop or guide bearing is made of sufficient height toenable a slight vertical play of the pushbar in said bearing, say equal to the height of the stud 1 \Vhen thus organized it will be seen that if the handle be manipulated in the proper direction, the push-bar to be next acted upon by the cam will be depressed until it rests upon the stud g", and that when said bar is pushed rearwardly by the cam the notch and stud will be engaged and thus lock or confine the bar against longitudinal movement until it is next raised.

For rotatively cushioning, as between the rolls and the clutch-shafts, whenever the same is required, I make the sockets andcoupliugbars so that each is capable of more or less rotation independently of the other as, for instance, asshown in Fig. 9, wherein the sockets p have, say, two engaging-shoulders, p, and the coupling-bar g has tapered tenons q, and said bar is inclosed in a heavy spiral ton sion-spring, r, having its ends or tips r housed in tubular seats on one side of each socket, and secured therein by clamp-screws 1". The normal set of this torsional spring for each roll may be varied, but usually so that its tendency will be to slightly force the roll in a direction opposite to that in which its particnlar clutch-shaft is to be driven, and therefore it will exercisemore or less cushioning eiiect, as between said shaft and roll, whenever power is directly applied to said roll,aud without any possibility of unduly straining the spring.

It will not be always necessary that a torsion-spring should extend from one socket to the other, but it may be in one or more coils secured at one end to either socket, (preferably the one next to the roll,) and at its other end to the coupling-bar. Other obvious modes of cushioning may be employed.

In Fig. 5 I show how rolls of any diameter for light service can be coupled to the driving and reversing gear. In this case only the lower clutch-shaft, O, is directly coupled to the rolls, it being already understood that this clutch-shaft can be revolved oppositely to the driving-shaft B,when the pinion O is clutched for service, and that said cluteh-shaft can also be rotated in thesame direction as the driving-shaft by way of the upper elutchshaft, D, and the pinion D and C. In this case extra pinions F are employed at the outer ends of the axes of the rolls, so that the upper roll, F, may be directly coupled, or thelower roll, F, as shown, or the extra pinions F may be set in separate housings.

In Fig. 6 I show how comparatively small rolls F F may each be coupled to their respective cl utclrshafts. q are respectively inclined to compensate for the diiterence between the horizontal planes occupied by the axis of each roll and its respective clutch-shaft, these latter not being directly coupled by gearing, although indirectly coupled by way of pinions at the outer ends of the axes of the rolls.

Other varieties or methods ofcoupling would naturally be suggested to persons skilled in rolling-mill work, in view of each particular line ot'service for which the rolls were adapted.

Variations as to the diameter of rolls, each directly coupled to its respective clutch-shaft,

can obviously be provided for by setting the drivingshaft to the one side or the other of the vertical. plane occupied by the clutchshafts; but this arrangement as a rule should be avoided in favor of the arrangement thereof, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and It will of course be understood that for promptly stopping the rolls, the usual clutching mechanism may be employed between the cam-wheel on the driving-shaft and the source of power; but I prefer to provide means whereby both push-bars may be lifted above the path of the cam-wheel Z, thus enabling the several clutches to be wholly disengaged whenever it is desired to stop the rolls.

In Fig. 10 I illustrate a convenient and effeetivearrangement for thus lifting both pushbars. The hand-lever k is mounted upon a verticallysliding plate, k which at its lower end is pivoted to a weighted treadle-lever, k, so that by depressing said treadle and forcing it laterally into a keeper-notch the outer ends of both of the push-bars will be lifted above the path. of the cam-wheel and held there, during which the several clutches can be wholly disengaged, leaving both loose pinions free to revolve as idlers on their clutchsha'fts.

The several pinions and gears may be provided with ordinary straight teeth, or with the well-known angular or V-shaped teeth, both varieties being illustrated in the drawings.

In this case the coupling-bars I have herein-before referred to locating the driving-shaft out of the vertical plane occupied by the clutch-shafts, and should this arrangement be desired, an automatic push-bar can be readily employed by organizing the cam therewith, as illustrated in Figs. ll. and 12. As seen in Fig. 11, the driving-shaft B is located at the rear ofthe vertical plane occupied by the clutch-shafts G and D, the canrwheel Z being mounted on the driving-shaft. In Fig. 12 the can1-whecl is shown in vertical section. The sliding push'bar y is provided with two vertically-sliding pins or studs, 9', and also with a hand-lever, mounted upon top of said bar by means of a fulcrum, 9, located between the pins so that by raising or lowering said lever either of the pins 9 can be placed into or out of the path of its proper cam-face, and, if desired, it is obvious that the lever, its l'ulcrum, and the pins can be readily so proportioned that both of said pins 9 can be so set as to be free from contact with the cam-wheel. In this arrangement it will be obvious that but one push-bar will be required, because the cam-wheel is capable of forcing a bar in bot-h directions, according to which of the pins may be so depressed as to occupy the path of either of the cam-faces Z, this wheel having two cam-faces, instead of but one, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It is obvious that said two cam-laces, operating with the single push-bar, are equivalent to the two push-bars and the single cam-face, before described, while the hand-lever for lifting and lowering the pins serves the same purpose with one push-bar as the lever 7.: with the two push-bars in enabling the cam-wheel to throw either the upper or the lower set of clutches into engagement.

It will be readily understood that any method other than as herein described and illustrated sucll as steam, air, or hydraulic power-quay be employed (as is most convenient) for the purpose of operating the push-bars and or the clutclrlevcrs (Z (1 without departure from my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of a drivingshat't having a tight pinion, apair of clutclrshafts each havinga loose pinion, a clutch on each clutchshaft forrotatively connecting said clutch-shaft to the driving-shalt, and alevercontrollingboth clutches, substantially as described, whereby said clutches are simultaneously operated for the respective engagement and disengagement of said clutch-shafts from the d riving-shait, as set forth.

2. The combination of a driving-shaft having atightpinion, two cl utelrshafts each having a loose pinion and a clutch, and pinions or gears on said clutch-shaft which mesh di rectly with each other, substantially as de scribed,whereby either elutch-shaft, when not driven directly from the driving-shaft,will be oppositely rotated by its connection with the directly-driven clutch-shaft.

3. The combination of a driving-shaft having a tight pinion, two clutch-shafts having loose pinions meshing with said tight pinion, a clutch at each side of and embracing each loose pinion, and levers for operating said clutches, substantially as described, whereby either loose pinion may be rotatively locked at each end to its respective clutclrsliatt.

4. The combination of a driving-shaft hav ing a tight pinion, two clutclrshafts having loose pinions meshing with said tight pinion, a pair of clutches on each elutchshal't for locking its loose pinion thereto, and levers connecting all of said clutches, substantially as describedpvhereby either pair of said clutches on either cl utch-shaft may be thrown into service si multaneousl y with the disengagement of the pair of clutches on the other clutch-shaft.

5. The combination, substantially as, hereinbefore described, of the driving-shaft, its pinions or gears, the cam-wheel, the clutchshafts, their loose pinions and clutches, the levers connected to said clutches, and one or more sliding puslrbars coupled to the clutch levers and moved by the cam-wheel.

6. The combination, with the driving-shalt and its pinion, the clutch-shafts and their loose pinions, and the clutches and their controllinglevers, otthe sliding push-bars coupled to said levers, the hand-lever for alternately raising and lowering the outer cndsot' said puslrbars, and the cam-wheel, substantially as described, whereby either pairot clutches can be engaged or disengaged by the cam-wheel, according to the particular manipulation of the hand-lever.

'7. .l .hecombination of thedrivingshat't, the two elutcltshal'ts, the tight and loose pinions, and the clutches, and a cushioiling-spring for relieving the shock incident to the locking of either loose pinion to its clutch-shaft, substantially as described.

8. The combination of the driving and reversin'g gear embodying the driving-shaft, its tight pinion, the elutclrshafts, their loose pinionsand connccting-pinions, clutches for locking said loose pinionsto the clutch-shafts, and metal-working rolls coupled to said driving and reversing gear, substantially as described,

' whereby said rolls may be driven in either direction without. reversal of the driving-shaft.

HERVEY W. FO\VLER.

Witnesses:

Josnrir Gnovn, A. R. ARBUOKLE. 

